National Epitaxy Facility Community Consultation
The National Epitaxy Facility is undertaking a community consultation to inform its strategic development for the next 5-10 years reflecting the changing R&D landscape in the UK, government-driven strategies in Semiconductors, Quantum, AI, Telecoms, the Modern Industrial Strategy and the changing international climate for critical technologies such as semiconductors.

The community response will set the direction of travel for the National Epitaxy Facility which is currently supporting research in over 30 UK Universities, as well as significant industry engagement and support for national priorities such as the Quantum Technologies Programme.

We are seeking your insight and opinions on future directions which will then be reflected in the capabilities offered by the Facility both now and in the future. 

Responses to this survey will be shared with the EPSRC who funds the National Epitaxy Facility.
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Email *
Name *
Institution/Organisation/Company *
Are you working in academia, industry, RTO or government organisation? *
Where are you based? *
What career stage are you at? *
Are you or have you been in the past a user of the National Epitaxy Facility (either directly or indirectly worked on the wafers supplied by the Facility)? *
If you are not currently a user, please indicate broadly your interest in the Facility.
Do you have other means of obtaining epitaxial material for your current research (please refer to your own usage rather than general availability)? *
What are the main sources of funding for your research? *
The Facility supports numerous research fields. Please select the fields you are interested in: *
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The Facility currently offers the following material systems in support of EPSRC/UKRI grants or via direct access (industry/other funders):  III-Vs on GaAs, InP, InAs, InSb, GaSb substrates, GaN, Si/SiGe, III-Vs on group IV.  Are there any other material systems that you think should be accessible at scale to the UK semiconductor and quantum communities to deliver on National Strategies and Priorities in those areas?
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Please provide any comments about the available material systems below:
The Facility also provides additional material systems through our Pump Priming Scheme, provided via external supply partners. The scheme is aimed at material development studies, which should lead to full EPSRC grant proposals. The additional materials are: GaO, SiC, 2D materials, II-VIs, hBN, topological insulators (Bi,Se,Te,Sb), THz and mid-IR devices. Are there any other materials that you think could benefit the UK community from being accessible via this feasibility study route?
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Please provide any comments about the additional materials available via the Pump Priming Scheme below:
Currently the Facility develops new epitaxy capabilities through collaborative work with users on their grants/projects, and has no independent mechanism for developing new growth techniques. Do you have a view on the importance of the Facility having an internal material development fund to support future user needs?
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The Facility currently provides up to 8" wafers for GaN materials, up to 3" wafers for group IV materials, and up to 6" wafers for the other III-V materials.  Are these sizes sufficient for your needs?
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Please provide any comments about the wafer sizes or multi-wafer growths below: 
The Facility also provides access to an industrial Micro-Transfer Printing tool and associated fabrication expertise for users interested in heterogeneous integration of our materials and devices. Do you have a suggestion for other tools that may be valuable for R&D in heterogeneous integration of epitaxial materials? Please comment below: *
A new £7M automated Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) system is being installed at the Facility in Sheffield in spring 2027. It will comprise of 3 growths chambers: one for arsenides, phosphides and dilute nitrides, one for arsenides and antimonides (with in situ Auger Electron Spectroscopy), and one for wide-gap nitrides. It will also have an analysis chamber with X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and a low temperature metals deposition chamber, and a glovebox and a vacuum suitcase for transfer of samples in oxygen-free or vacuum environments. Growth control software will be integrated with in-situ metrology tools for real-time growth feedback, machine learning, and AI-assisted materials discovery. Please indicate which of the following capabilities you will be interested in accessing for your research: *
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Please provide any comments about the new MBE system below:

The Facility is introducing capability for AI-assisted development of epitaxy for materials discovery/optimization and manufacturing/resource efficiency. Do you have an interest in this research or a comment on the importance of this field?

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Apart from the technical and capabilities provision, which other aspects of a Facility do you think is of value to your research and the broader community? *
Required
Please provide any comments about the community initiatives that the Facility should undertake below:
Do you have any other views about how the National Epitaxy Facility could expand its capabilities, service, and activities to support the UK community in delivering the National Semiconductor, Quantum, AI, and Industrial Strategies?
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